Having taken US$220.1 million in box office sales in 17 days making it today's top movie in North America, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" premiered in Beijing on January 27 and will be shown in cinemas throughout China's major cities from February 1, the Beijing Youth Daily reported.

With its prime time slot during the winter vacation and the Spring Festival, China's traditional lunar new year, Harry Potter aims to work his magic in this ancient oriental country once again.

Chinese elementary and middle school students as well as many adults have been looking forward to the movie after Harry Potter mania took over when the books arrived in China. Many hope to be among the first to share the magical adventures of the little British schoolboy on screen.

The picture shows that Xu Gang, 15, who gives Chinese voice to the boy wizard Harry Potter, greets the audience at the premiere of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" in Shanghai.

(People's Daily January 28, 2002)